A Fresh Bedroom

Instead of bore you with the details of why I've been away from the blog for so long I thought I would just get right back into the swing of things and share a recent project I've been working on.  My client wanted to update her current space (picture childhood white dresser with painted pink knobs and floral, Shabby Chic bedding) and make it more sophisticated and, umm, male friendly. She wasn't quite ready to give up her beloved pink so I chose pale pink and treated it as more of a neutral. I paired the paler shade with crisp white, oatmeal linen, warm currant and shimmering brass. It's a calming atmosphere and a little girlie but the base of the room is classic so all of the more feminine pieces like the pillows can easily be swapped out over time.

Why Don't You...

Why don't you hang a few panels of fabric behind your bed to add interest and height to your bedroom walls?  My friend Liz and I were recently discussing how she's having a hard time deciding what to hang over her bed. There are a medley of options available from mirrors to artwork and sculptures to nothing at all but finding the perfect piece for that awkward space can be tricky when you're on a budget because the scale has to be just right - that's why I love this option!  It's a simple and elegant way to soften the walls and is a great option is you don't have a headboard. You could easily whip up a few reversible panels for under $100 then flip them over depending on your mood or the season.

So, do tell, what's hanging above your bed?  Still on the hunt?

Image Antony Todd's Manhattan Apartment 

Design Guide | Headboards

It feels like I've been working on decorating my bedroom for so long now--I just haven't been able to make up my mind about a headboard! As you can see from the images above, the options are endless: square, curved, nailheads, no nailheads, fabric, color, height...the list goes on and on. Last Christmas by parents gave me money to buy a headboard (that money is long gone) and now, after almost a year of thinking about the style I've finally made up my mind. So dramatic, I know, but I want something classic and that will stand the test of time. Maybe I'm the only one out there with this issue but just in case I'm not, I thought I would share my design process:

.shape I'm going with a classic square shape. I considered my boyfriend in this decision--I thought about doing a triple arch but in the end it just seemed a little too feminine and trendy. A classic square shape makes a statement and can easily be changed up over time with a simple slipcover or by placing a beautiful antique textile down the center.

.dimensions High headboards are in and I get the appeal but knew I wanted to hang one large piece of art over the bed. I went back and forth about the height so I finally just taped a faux headboard on the wall (see above) and lived with it for a week--the visual representation made it click. Based on the height of my mattress, pillows, bedside tables/lamps and want to hang art I decided to make my headboard 57" high.

.fabric One word, solid. There are two reasons why I didn't want to use a pattern 1) I want my bedroom to be relaxing...the thought of hating the pattern a year from now would give me anxiety and cause sleep deprivation. 2) A standard queen headboard is 61" wide, standard fabric is 55" wide--matching the pattern can be tricky and expensive because you have to buy additional yardage. So solid it is--linen, cotton, velvet, it's really up to you.

.nailheads Since I don't want my headboard to be completely boring I've decided to add a double "x" pattern across the front. I thought about tufting but I have a tufted ottoman and I swear those tufts produce their own lint--I literally have to vacuum that thing twice a week. So again, back to the relaxing bedroom thing, the thought of having to vacuum my headboard twice a week would likely give me anxiety and cause sleep deprivation.

So there you have it, my guide to picking out the perfect headboard! Feel free to leave any additional pointers in the comments section below!

My Home | Bedroom Inspiration

I've made it my weekend mission to in incorporate a little yellow into my home.  On Wednesday I mentioned the possibility of yellow curtains in my living room but after mulling it over I decided against it.  So, on the the only other room in my tiny apartment...the bedroom!  I haven't been able to stop thinking about the color palette in this Samantha Tod Hunter designed bedroom since I posted it a few weeks back.  I have always been drawn to lighter colors in the bedroom and the textures, materials and style of Hunter's room is very similar to what I already have going on.

With that said, I'm determined to spend my plan-free weekend cleaning and sprucing up my place.  From the items pictured above I already own the chair, lamp, mirror, grey linen bedding and dresser.  Now I just need to (finally) buy a headboard, make some curry yellow curtains, purchase those insanely gorgeous pink linen towels for my bathroom and attempt to replicate this killer Ross Bleckner painting. I've got two days and not a lot on money...wish me luck!

What are you weekend plans? 

(Images 1 / 2 / 3 )

Cornered

Packing a home office and guest room into a 10'x14' room may not be ideal but it can work.  I'm helping a client design a multi-use space right now and as much as she should like to have the full bed centered in the room with a nightstand on either side, it's just not going to happen. The room is small and they have enough paperwork to fill about 10 filing cabinets. Because two full walls are pretty much taken over with the biggest closet doors you have ever seen and awkward windows we are forced to get really creative with how the hell we are going to fit a bed, storage and a double desk in the room AND make it look good.

Enter the corner headboard.  Super chic, right?  Placing the bed in the corner frees us space in the center of the room and the double headboard anchors the bed making it's placement feel purposeful.  Pack it with pillows and you've got yourself a crazy awesome daybed just asking to be lounged on.  I wish Ballard made their Isabella corner bed in a full but they don't so we'll have to do custom.  I'll keep you posted on the progress...I'm thinking nubby linen with Pucci pillows. Oh snap.

(Image Aparat)

A Corky Bedroom

Finally, after years of dreaming about covering a wall in cork, I've found a client who is ready and willing! My client is moving into a duplex down and her son's bedroom is on the lower level.  The space doesn't get a lot of sunlight so we are going to paint the walls white then cover one wall with cork.  Covering just one wall will add a layer of architectural detail and prevent the space from feeling like a cocoon.  The decorative and functional cork wall will serve as the backdrop for a slim metal desk, vintage blue lamp and worn leather chair.  The carpet is staying so we're going to layer a striped rug on top then replace the hideous, white sconces with a pair of sleek, black lights. The icing on the cake?  High gloss black/blue doors!  It's a space that will grow well, actually, I kind of wish it was mine!

(Images 1-3: Miles Redd)

Mad About Hue | Bedroom Inspiration

Now that my living room is squared away it's time to focus on the bedroom. Right now the design is pretty much nonexistent. I hate to admit it but the picture I posted earlier this week is pretty darn deceiving. The lamp, painting and bedding are just about the only good things going on in the room. I'm in desperate need of a headboard (Santa, Mom, anyone?) and a new dresser. I like the current black + white color scheme but I think it needs to be bumped up a bit.  A punchy coral, edgy chartreuse or muted mustard might do the trick...add in a chocolaty fur throw and a little leopard and we'd have a winning combination.  I know some of my inspiration images aren't of bedrooms but you see where I'm going with this, right?

(Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Mad About Hue | Yellow, Green + Turquoise

What sounds like a completely awful color palette is really quite nice, don't you think?  I'm working on a project right now that has required me to think outside my sometimes boring color box.  My client's one request?  Design a room around Anthropologie's buttery yellow Atelier Chesterfield sofa.  Yup.  A big, expensive, yellow sofa. 

My first instinct?  Go neutral. You know, grey, black, white, yellow (à la Jenna Lyons).  But the more I thought about it the more I realized that yellow compliments many other colors quite nicely.  Above are four rooms that I keep referring back to for color inspiration.  Which on is your favorite?

(Images: Robert Passal, Nate Berkus, Vogue)

Where I'd Like to be Today

I know, I know you've probably seen Jenna Lyon's bedroom a million times but this here blog is my virtual inspiration board so I'm posting it because:

a) I love it

b) dark walls feel like a warm hug on a rainy fall day

c) I found this amazing lands' end bedding that reminds me of it

Oh what I would give to lounge in its Olatz-clad bed with a stack of books and a toasty fire. It's been a stressful week with lots of life-changing decisions so I'm in need of an escape....

I'll share the details later but for now I'd rather share this Jenna Lyon's inspired bedroom:

benjamin moore chalkboard paint / lands' end shelby bedding / vintage red coral branch / etsy vintage portrait / jayson home and garden cloches /  four cubes led digital clock

Manhattan Studio

On days like today, when the sun is shinning but it's still a bit chilly out, I would love nothing more than to lounge in a room like this.  It looks like an ideal place to spend a leisurely day with only the necessities - tousled white sheets, a cozy cashmere throw, a reading light and a stack of books.  The rustic green tone of the beautiful blanker paired with the toasted toffee color of the vintage leather chair add just the right amount of warmth.  And despite the simplicity of the space, the juxtaposition between the modern nightstand and traditional gilt mirror is striking and keeps things exciting.  Wouldn't it be lovely to have a large steel window like this in your bedroom?  Preferably with views of Manhattan...
Image: Tom Delavan 

Porthault Perfection

Mario Buatta, the legendary designer long known as the Prince of Chintz, is the latest profile in the always inspirational NYSD House series. The Buatta designed house featured is exquisite, packed with quirky details, but it’s the D. Porthault filled bedroom that really made my heart flutter. The interview says the linens are Pratesi but if I'm not mistaken, they're actually D. Porthault Bouquet Éclaté. 

The design of the canopy bed was inspired by the Brighton Pavillion

Photographs by Jeffrey Hirsch

Aerin Lauder's Devine Bedroom

The first time I was this picture of Aerin Lauder’s East Hampton master bedroom I just about died.  It's been one of my favorite rooms since being published in the December 2007 issue of House & Garden (and later, Elle Decor).  The Gramercy fabric on the walls and the bed is just "devine".  Michael Devine, that is.  If I could replicate this exact room in my home, I would.  It perfectly encompasses my layered, granny-chic aesthetic.  And those linens.  Although I love pattern, when it comes to bedding I tend to gravitate towards crisp, whiteness and no one, in my opinion, can dress a crisp, white bed quite like Leontine Linens.  Oh how I dream of being a Leontine Lady.  Mom, Paul, Birthday Fairy?  If your reading this, two euro shams with an oversized Maxwell monogram would make my 26th year of life a memorable one!  Add in a fur throw and I'd be one smitten kitten!

Gramercy by Michael Devine

Leontine Linens' Maxwell monogram